Literary Allusions in The Simpsons

Continuing yesterday's post to celebrate today's release of the new Simpsons movie, here is a list of 10 episode titles with literary origins: Homer's Odyssey The Call of the Simpsons The Telltale Head The Crepes of Wrath Simpson and Delilah One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish A Streetcar Named Marge The Last Temptation of Homer Much Apu about Nothing The Old Man and the Lisa Also, eHow.com has some good ideas for how to plan "The Simpsons" premiere party. And finally, there's this cool video from Zack Kim playing the Simpsons theme song on two guitars at the same time:

Marge Simpson Imagines a Catholic Heaven

The Simpsons movie comes out tomorrow, so here's a short clip to mark the occasion:

45 Important Movies as Chosen by the Vatican

In 1995, to commemorate 100 years of film-making, the Vatican made a list of what it called "Some Important Films." The list was divided into three areas--Religion, Values and Art. I've been gradually acquiring them and watching them. What I particularly like about the list are the international titles. Here's the list with a few comments of my own thrown in: Religion: Andrei Rublev Babette's Feast - I really enjoyed this slow-moving but tender film. Ben-Hur - The four-disc edition also includes the original silent film--an excellent dvd set. The Flowers of St. Francis Francesco The Gospel According to St. Matthew La Passion de Notre Seigneur Jesus-Christ A Man for All Seasons The Mission - I love the music in this film. Monsieur Vincent Nazarin Ordet The Passion of Joan of Arc The Sacrifice Therese Values: Au Revoir Les Enfants The Bicycle Thief The Burmese Harp Chariots of Fire - Show this movie to all the athletes in your family. Decalogue Dersu Uzala Gandhi Intolerance It's a Wonderful Life On the Waterfront - One of my favorite movies of all time--Brando and Malden are brilliant. Open City Schindler's List The Seventh Seal Tree of Wooden Clogs Wild Strawberries Art: Citizen Kane - Another one of my favorites. 8 1/2 Fantasia Grand Illusion La Strada The Lavender Hill Mob The Leopard Little Women Metropolis - I can't believe how powerful this movie remains after all these years. Modern Times - My family's favorite Chaplin movie--hilarious and touching. Napoleon Nosferatu Stagecoach 2001: A Space Odyssey The Wizard of Oz For more information, see Steven Greydanus' excellent article, "The Vatican Film List: Ten Years Later," and reviews of all the films on the US Bishops' web site.

Speed Racer and the Mach 5 Come to the Big Screen in Live Action

One of my favorite shows when I was younger was Speed Racer, and today, thanks to Gizmodo, I learned the Wachowski Brothers are turning it into a movie starring Matthew Fox and Susan Sarandon. When I was a kid, everyone on my block including my two brothers and me wanted to drive Speed Racer's Mach 5 convertible. I even had a Mach 5 Hot Wheels car. I can't wait to see it on the big screen. Here's hoping the movie turns out exciting and family friendly. Watch the Speed Racer press conference on YouTube.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

My wife and I celebrated our seventeenth anniversary two nights ago by attending the Spokane Civic Theater's performance of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music. The show was fantastic--elaborate sets, wonderful singing--a real treat. There were even a couple of songs that we had never heard before. It was also very special to see one of my former students in the role of Louisa Von Trapp. My wife loves The Sound of Music, so one Christmas I bought her the movie, the soundtrack and the original book. Now I see that there's a cd of music by the Original Trapp Family Singers available, as well as a book about the making of The Sound of Music. The Sound of Music is great family entertainment, and for Catholic families there's the added bonus of being able to use the movie to talk about our faith. As much as I enjoyed the performance on Saturday, I was more excited by the news that the Spokane Civic Theater was going to be staging a performance of Man of La Mancha next year! If you're a regular reader of Literary Compass, you know how much I love Don Quixote, so this is great news for me. I've already put it on my calendar for May 2008. My wife and I are almost done listening to the audiobook of Don Quixote, and we plan to watch the film version of Man of La Mancha when we finish, even though we've been told it's a subpar movie. I've never seen it and I'm curious. Musical theater, The Sound of Music and Don Quixote: these are a few of my favorite things.

The 15 Greatest Movies with Novels as Source Material

Not only are these great movies, but the novels on which they are based are classics, too. If you're in a reading group, why not read the book, then watch the movie? I only chose novels, no non-fiction (i.e., A Beautiful Mind) or drama (i.e., Much Ado About Nothing). Movies are listed alphabetically. Ben-Hur - Novel by Lew Wallace The Bridge on the River Kwai - Novel by Pierre Boulle Field of Dreams - Based on Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella The Godfather - Novel by Mario Puzo Gone with the Wind - Novel by Margaret Mitchell The Grapes of Wrath - Novel by John Steinbeck The Lord of the Rings - Novel by J.R.R. Tolkien The Maltese Falcon - Novel by Dashiell Hammet Master and Commander - Novel by Patrick O'Brian The Natural - Novel by Bernard Malamud A Room with a View - Novel by E.M. Forster The Searchers - Novel by Alan Lemay Shane - Novel by Jack Schaefer To Kill a Mockingbird - Novel by Harper Lee 2001: A Space Odyssey - Novel by Arthur C. Clarke What are your favorite movies based on novels? Leave a comment and let me know. Related posts: The Best Old Movies for Families

The Best Old Movies for Families

I was browsing through Borders Books the other day and came across a new book called The Best Old Movies for Families: A Guide to Watching Together byTy Burr. Old movies are an interest of mine, and I have struggled with trying to get my kids to watch them, so I picked this book up hoping to get some help. Burr, the film critic for The Boston Globe, does a great job listing movies from the golden age of cinema that kids of different ages will appreciate. He also has a good approach to introducing children to these movies. He suggests starting with comedies, and I agree with him. In fact, the day I bought the book I came home and put in Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush without telling the kids or inviting them to watch. Like a moth to flame, all four of our kids eventually drifted into the TV room to see what was on, and they all ended up watching most of it. I like most of Burr's film suggestions, and his comments on the films are very helpful. He gives little bits of trivia that might interest the kids (the shoe that Chaplin ate was made of licorice) and occasionally guides the reader to the best DVD version to buy. If you like old movies and want your kids to like them, you need this book. And if you think you don't like old movies and want to see what all the fuss is about, buy this book for yourself and pretend you're young again. You won't be disappointed.

‘Screwtape Letters’ to be released on film

From CNA: ‘Screwtape Letters’ to be released on film: Los Angeles, Feb 13, 2007 / 09:06 am (CNA).- The company that produced The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is planning to adapt C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters into a major motion picture that will open in theaters nationwide in early 2008. This is the second effort of Walden Media to bring C.S. Lewis to the big screen, following the very successful Narnia. The company also plans to release the sequel to Narnia, Prince Caspian, sometime next year. First published in 1942, The Screwtape Letters features a series of letters between senior demon, Screwtape, and his wannabe diabolical nephew, Wormwood. As a mentor, Screwtape advises Wormwood on how to undermine the faith and promote sin to an earthly man known only as “the Patient.” Like The Chronicles of Narnia, which grossed $744 million worldwide, The Screwtape Letters will be shot as a live-action movie. " The Screwtape Letters is a terrific book, but I'm a little skeptical of its effectiveness as a film. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.